


The Adventures of Black Hawk and Billy the Kid

by quetzalaten



Category: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel - Michael Scott
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, M/M, Minor Original Character(s), Mutual Pining, Not Canon Compliant, Period Typical Attitudes, Pining, Pre-Canon, Slow Burn, a lot of headcanons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 18:29:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28835637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quetzalaten/pseuds/quetzalaten
Summary: Black Hawk and Billy the Kid have known each other for many years. But what have they done during that time?This fic is a collection of works that feature the two immortals as they work together over the decades. Beginning in the 1890s, and ending in the 1990s, it follows the progression of their relationship over a century of adventures.
Relationships: Black Hawk/Henry "Billy the Kid" McCarty (Nicholas Flamel)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**New Mexico, 1897**

William H. Bonney. Outlaw, cattle-rustler, immortal.

The rest of the world believes that the man known as Billy the Kid died in 1881 in Fort Sumner, shot down by the bullets of Sheriff Pat Garrett. But Billy survived, a servant of the Dark Elder Quetzalcoatl.

And now, his master had a mission for him. He had been summoned to the Feathered Serpent’s Shadowrealm for a briefing, and was briskly walking through the desert towards his destination.

Billy felt a slight shift in the air as he entered Quetzalcoatl’s domain. The scent of cacao was overwhelming, making the outlaw cough. He noticed colourful feathers drifting around the room. _Guess the bastard is mo_ _u_ _lting._ Billy sneezed, the down tickling his nose.

“I see you have arrived,” a hissing voice said out of the shadows. Billy jumped at the sound.

The Elder’s claws clicked against the floor as he walked towards his servant. “I require your assistance to hunt down some men.” Billy crossed his arms, “That’s vague. What should I do once I find ‘em?”

“Kill them. No hesitation. I want them completely destroyed.” The Feathered Serpent turned away from the outlaw.

“Alright, just tell me what exactly I’m chasing and I’ll be on my way,” Billy drawled, eager to leave his master’s presence.

Quetzalcoatl laughed, his voice rasping, “You think that I would let you go alone? Please, I would not trust you to pull this off.” The Serpent walked close to the young outlaw, “I have selected another immortal servant to accompany you. I think you have already met?”

Billy looked where Quetzalcoatl was pointing, and saw a tall man with copper skin standing in the doorway. The outlaw’s breath caught in his throat. _Black Hawk._ The other immortal smiled slightly when he saw Billy watching him.

“Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak has been my servant for many years now, so I know that he will not fail me,” the Feathered Serpent hissed. His tail curled tightly around Billy’s leg, “And I know that if you try anything, he is smart enough to stop you, whatever way might be necessary.” The outlaw grimaced at the threat. “Sure, _jefe_ ,” he said, looking the Elder in the eyes. He had learned early on that in order to survive as a servant of Quetzalcoatl, you could not show any sign of weakness to the Serpent. Weakness meant that you had to be replaced.

Quetzalcoatl released his tail’s hold on Billy. “Get out,” the Elder snarled.

Billy gave his master a mock salute, and walked over to the other immortal, who was still waiting for him at the door. “C’mon, I guess we’re goin’ on a trip,” the outlaw sighed. “Is that so bad?” Black Hawk said, “Or would you rather be hiding from a sheriff again?” Billy looked up at the Othâkîwa immortal, “Better that than bein’ an errand boy for an ol’ snake.”

Black Hawk laughed, “Don’t let him hear you, or he might give you what you ask for.”

When they got outside, they found that Quetzalcoatl had supplied them with horses for the journey. “Well, that’ll make it a bit easier to travel,” Billy drawled. Black Hawk agreed, swinging himself up into the saddle, “Let’s get to work.”

***

As night fell, the two men made camp in a shallow cave.

Billy, who was cleaning his gun, watched as the Othâkîwa immortal started a small fire. The light flickered, casting shadows over the other man’s face. “So...” Billy said, “It’s been a while since we have seen each other, hasn’t it?” Black Hawk looked at him, “A year or so, yes.”

“How have you been?” the outlaw asked. “Fine, I suppose,” Black Hawk replied, “I’ve been doing a lot of the Serpent’s dirty work. Haven’t had much of a break.” Billy chuckled, “Well, this ain’t a break, but at least we have food.” The other immortal smiled, “You’re right. It is also nice to have someone to talk to.” Billy nodded enthusiastically, “Yeah, I like talkin’, and that’s kinda hard when you are working alone most of the time.” Black Hawk laughed, “Oh, you don’t have to tell me that. The hard part is getting you to stop talking.”

The outlaw glanced at Black Hawk, who had finished the fire and was now sitting down on the ground a short distance away from him. _Close enough to touch_ , Billy thought, his heart beating quickly.

“To be honest, I have been looking forward to working with you again,” the Othâkîwa immortal said quietly. Billy shifted slightly. He hoped that Black Hawk couldn’t see his blush in the dim light. _What the hell is wrong with you?_ The outlaw went back to cleaning his gun, trying to ignore the flurry of thoughts that were cluttering his mind.

“Do you know anything about this gang we are supposed to be talkin’ to?” Billy questioned.

“Absolutely nothing,” Black Hawk replied, his face serious, “Quetzalcoatl has sent us in completely unprepared.” Billy narrowed his eyes. “Are you joking?” he chuckled. “Yeah, yeah I am,” the Othâkîwa immortal said, grinning, “but unfortunately for you, our master doesn’t want you to know any details.”

Billy huffed, crossing his arms. “Really? The snake doesn’t trust me at all?” Black Hawk moved closer to the outlaw, so that their shoulders were touching. “You know,” he whispered, “maybe if you showed him a bit of respect, he would trust you more.” Billy looked at the other man. _Remember, he is here to keep an eye on you._ He was no more than another of Quetzalcoatl’s servants. Even though he was kind, and didn’t treat Billy like a nuisance, and the firelight made him glow like gold... Billy brushed off the thought quickly. _He isn’t your friend, Billy, he is only here because that scaly bastard ordered him to._

“What are you thinking about?” Black Hawk asked, putting his hand on Billy’s leg. “Nothing,” the outlaw said, glancing at the Othâkîwa immortal, “We should probably get some sleep soon. I can take the first watch.”

Black Hawk shrugged, “Suit yourself.” He leaned against the wall of the cave, closing his eyes. Billy felt a bit disappointed that the other immortal had given in so easily. Now that the outlaw was alone with his thoughts, it was much harder to ignore them. He tried to focus on the flickering fire in front of him. Billy yawned, stretching his arms. It was going to be a long night.

***

Billy woke to Black Hawk shaking him. “Wha...?” he grumbled, half-asleep.

“You do realize that part of taking the first watch is waking someone up to take the second watch, right?” the Othâkîwa immortal said sternly. “Oh...” Billy said sheepishly, “I must’ve drifted off.”

“Unbelievable,” Black Hawk muttered.

He got up, and untied the horses. “We should go now, while it is still early. Quetzalcoatl told me where to look for our targets, but they won’t stay in one place for long.”

Soon they were riding again, Billy following Black Hawk’s lead as they travelled through the desert. By midday, they saw a town in the distance.

“The people that we’re hunting are staying here,” the Othâkîwa immortal said to the outlaw. Billy nodded, “After you, Black Hawk.” His companion rolled his eyes, “So polite.”

Black Hawk led his horse into town. Billy trailed behind him, taking in his surroundings. They stopped at the saloon, and got off their horses. “We’ll go in, I’ll see if I can spot the men we are searching for, and if I see them, we will follow them out when they leave,” the Othâkîwa immortal said. “Sounds good to me,” Billy drawled.

The two men quietly slipped inside and found an empty table. “Do you wanna get a drink?” Billy whispered to his companion. Black Hawk looked at him, “We need to focus, Billy.” The outlaw pouted, but didn’t bring it back up. The Othâkîwa immortal glanced around the room, until his gaze settled on a small group of men sitting in a corner booth. Black Hawk nudged Billy, and tilted his head slightly towards their target.

Billy took a quick look. “Huh,” he murmured, “not what I expected.” There were five men at the table, drinking and talking with each other. _They seem so normal_ , Billy thought. He wondered why Quetzalcoatl wanted them dead. “Now we just have to wait,” Black Hawk said quietly.

“If we just sit here whisperin’ without buying a drink, we are gonna look pretty suspicious,” Billy muttered. “We can get drinks later, Billy,” Black Hawk said, placing his hand on the outlaw’s arm, “but you are right that we should try to act casual. Start a conversation.”

Billy chuckled, “So... nice weather we’ve been having.” Black Hawk pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing, “Why are you like this?” The younger man grinned, “Oh come on, you love me.” The Othâkîwa immortal laughed, “Maybe so, but you could try taking things more seriously sometimes.” Billy pretended to be shocked, “Why, I’ll have you know that I’m taking this very seriously!” Black Hawk smiled at the outlaw, leaning closer to him,“I don’t think I’ve seen any evidence of that yet.”

“Shut up,” Billy laughed, gently pushing Black Hawk away from him. He gazed at the other man, “I really do like working with you, Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak.”

“And I with you, William Bonney,” the Othâkîwa immortal murmured, his expression soft. Suddenly, his eyes shifted to look behind Billy. He cleared his throat quietly. The outlaw casually glanced at the table in the corner, where the group of men were starting to get up and leave. The two immortals waited until their targets had left the building, then carefully followed them.

“They’re leavin’ town,” Billy said, “I wonder where they’re heading?” Black Hawk walked over and got on his horse, “Time to find out.”

Billy and Black Hawk rode after the group of men, keeping a safe distance so that they wouldn’t be noticed. Eventually, Billy realized that they were right at the edge of a deep canyon. He looked down cautiously, “Damn, I’d hate to fall in there.”

Black Hawk glanced over at him, “Try to stay on your horse, then.”

The outlaw grimaced, and looked forward again. “Hey, Black Hawk? Where’d the men go?”

“What?” Black Hawk’s eyes widened, “They must have seen us coming.”

A yell from behind them made the two immortals turn around. The five men were thundering towards them on horseback, guns in hand.

“ _M_ _îsh_ _kotâ’na!_ _”_ Black Hawk swore, “We have to go, now!” They urged their horses to go faster, trying to outrun the gang. Billy looked back. The men were gaining on them.

“What do we do?” the outlaw yelled at his companion. “Just keep riding!” Black Hawk shouted.

A white mist rose off of one of the men, and whipped at Billy, cutting the side of his face. _Magic?_ He turned, and realized that the men were pushing them towards the canyon. “Black Hawk, we may have a problem...” he said nervously. The Othâkîwa immortal glanced at the outlaw, “Billy, behind you!”

Billy heard a gunshot go off. Before he had time to react, his horse went wild, bucking him off. The outlaw tumbled to the ground, rolling right off the side of the cliff.

Panicked, Billy grabbed at the ground, trying to get a grip. He managed to hold on, but his body was dangling precariously, and his muscles protested against the weight.

The group of men rode past him, kicking up dust in Billy’s face. _Shit_ , he thought, as he realized that Black Hawk would more than likely continue after them, leaving the outlaw behind. Suddenly, he heard a horse come to a halt in front of him, and a soft thud as the rider dismounted.

Black Hawk’s face appeared above him, gazing down at Billy as he hung from the cliff. “Are you okay?” he called.

The outlaw shouted at his companion, “I’m fine! Go after them! Otherwise Quetzalcoatl will have your head for letting them escape!” The Othâkîwa immortal shook his head, “I am _not_ leaving you to die, Billy!” He got down on his stomach so he was closer to the edge of the canyon.

Black Hawk reached down to Billy. “Grab my hand!” he yelled desperately. His heart pounding, the outlaw tried to grab on, but missed, yelping as his fingers began to slip from the ledge. “No!” Black Hawk cried, his hand outstretched. Billy closed his eyes as his strength gave out, and waited for the inevitable fall to the canyon floor.

Until he realized that he wasn’t falling.

Billy felt a strong grip tighten around his wrist. Black Hawk was leaning over the side, a triumphant look in his eyes. “I’ve got you,” he said, straining to support Billy’s weight. Grunting, he dragged the outlaw to safety.

They fell over together, crying and laughing at the same time. Black Hawk pulled Billy, who was still shaking with adrenaline, closer to his body. “You’re okay,” he said, trying to calm the younger immortal down. Billy nodded, resting his head on Black Hawk’s chest. He tried to breath slowly, the scent of the Othâkîwa immortal’s aura enveloping him. “Thank you... for catching me,” Billy whispered softly, glancing up at Black Hawk.

“My job was to look out for you, remember?” the other man said, smiling. Billy chuckled, “I guess the snake wouldn’t have been too happy if the mission failed.” Black Hawk put a hand on the outlaw’s shoulder, “I also didn’t want to see you land at the bottom of a cliff. Who else would I have to talk to then?” The two immortals looked at each other for a moment. Billy realized that he still had his hands on Black Hawk’s chest. Blushing furiously, he moved away from the other man.

“So, what’s the plan now?” the outlaw asked, brushing the dust from his shirt, “Those people know we’re after them, so it’ll be difficult to catch ‘em again.”

Black Hawk grimaced, “I don’t really have a plan.”

“What?”

“Well, I didn’t think we would have any trouble the first time!” the Othâkîwa immortal said defensively. Billy pursed his lips, “Maybe if I had known what we were actually facing, I wouldn’t have been caught off guard...” He looked pointedly at Black Hawk. His companion sighed, shaking his head, “You are an obnoxious man, do you know that?” Billy grinned, “Oh, I know.”

Black Hawk thought for a moment, “It’s not like our master would know that I told you... we could deny it, say that you figured it out yourself...” The outlaw nodded excitedly, “Exactly!”

“Fine, I’ll tell you what I know about them. The immortals that we just met were in the servitude of Quetzalcoatl up until a few weeks ago. Then they just sort of... left.” The Othâkîwa immortal paused for a moment. Billy tilted his head, “Can an immortal do that? Leave the service of their master, I mean?” Black Hawk shook his head, “Not really. You would be breaking your oaths to the Elder who granted you your longevity, thus making it highly probable that they will hunt you down to take the gift away.” Billy gulped, “Oh... remind me not to ever do that, then.”

Black Hawk continued, “Without our immortality, we would rapidly age to where we would be if we were normal humans. For you, it wouldn’t be much of a problem yet. But for the five men we are chasing, it would mean death.” The Othâkîwa immortal’s expression was sombre. Billy gazed into his eyes, “How... how old are they?”

“They came here in the 1500s, as part of the colonization projects of the Spanish Empire. Quetzalcoatl never felt anything but malice towards those people for the destruction that they caused. He took many of them as servants, and gives them the worst jobs as punishment for what the rest of them did,” Black Hawk said, smiling slightly. “Huh,” Billy said, “I guess that explains why they are trying to escape.” The Othâkîwa immortal looked at the outlaw, “Quetzalcoatl has sent us to kill them for their treachery. If we don’t succeed, I believe that we might end up dead in their place.”

Billy grimaced, “Better succeed, then.” He stood up, and reached down to give Black Hawk a hand. The other immortal took it and, when they were both on their feet, walked over to a spot on the trail, pulling Billy along with him. Black Hawk crouched down, forcing Billy to do the same.

“What do you see?” he asked the outlaw. Billy stared at the ground, “Nothin’ but the tracks made by the horses.” Black Hawk looked at the younger immortal, “And...?”

“...and we can follow those to find the gang!” Billy laughed. _That was embarrassingly obvious, Bonney._ At least they knew how to follow the escaped immortals now. Black Hawk smirked at Billy, causing the outlaw’s face to flush red. _Dammit, now he is judgin’ you._

“No time to waste,” Black Hawk said, walking away, “You coming?” Billy hurried after his companion, letting the footprints act as a trail leading them right to their prey.

After dark, they arrived at the entrance to the canyon. “I smell smoke,” Billy whispered. In front of him, Black Hawk nodded, “I believe we have found our defectors.”

“What’s the plan?” the outlaw said, “Run in, start shooting, hope that we caught ‘em by surprise?” Black Hawk raised an eyebrow, “Really, Billy?” The Othâkîwa immortal brought his face close to Billy’s, making the other man’s heart leap.

“We should sneak in to the camp, and see what we are up against first. Otherwise we will have no way of knowing how they are defending themselves strategically,” Black Hawk whispered.

“Then can we start shooting?”

“...yes Billy, then we can start shooting.”

Billy smirked at the Othâkîwa immortal, “Let’s get these sons of bitches.”

The two companions crept through the dark. Every sound made Billy jump, worried that it would alert the escaped immortals to their presence. They came upon the camp and, hiding behind a boulder, slowly got their guns out. Billy surveyed the clearing. There were two men sitting by the fire, several others were setting up crude shelters nearby. A few of them were already asleep.

_Wait, how many of them are there?_ Billy looked around the camp. He counted close to fifteen people, while earlier that day there had only been five. Glancing at Black Hawk, he saw that his companion had come to the same realization. With this many members of the gang to fight, the two immortals were vastly outnumbered.

Black Hawk motioned for Billy to back out of the canyon. The outlaw did as he was told, and slowly slunk along the wall, retracing the way that they came in. The Othâkîwa immortal followed carefully, keeping his head down.

Billy felt his ankle twist on a rock. “Shit,” he swore quietly. Black Hawk froze in place.

“What was that?” One of the gang members looked up, and caught sight of the two immortals. “Hey, you there! Stop!” Suddenly, all the men were up and, surrounding Billy and Black Hawk, they raised their guns.

“Damn it, Billy,” Black Hawk muttered.

One of the men stepped forward, in front of the young outlaw, “Who are you and what do you want with us?” Black Hawk cleared his throat, “You can address your questions to me.” The gang laughed uproariously. Billy felt anger rising inside of him.

“You let that speak for you?” the leader of the men said to the outlaw. Trying to control his temper, Billy answered carefully, “Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak is in charge here, not me. If you wanna talk, go talk to him.” He noticed Black Hawk smile slightly. The conquistador glared at him, “I’m not interested in your games, ya’ Indian lover. Either tell me who you are right now, or I’ll blow your brains out.” Billy felt the cold metal press against his head.

Faster than Billy thought possible, Black Hawk was pointing his gun at the conquistador. “Drop your weapon or I shoot,” the Othâkîwa immortal said, his voice dangerously calm. Uncertain, the gang leader lowered his gun.

“You know,” he said to the two immortals, “I believe you are the same boys that were following us earlier today, aren’t you?” When no one answered him, he continued, “You make quite the pair. But why are you so hellbent on finding us? Unless...” The conquistador’s eyes grew wide. He raised his gun again.

“Quetzalcoatl sent you, didn’t he? That fucking bastard couldn’t just let us go.”

Black Hawk moved so that he was standing in front of Billy, “Perhaps now you are ready to speak to me.” The gang leader grimaced, putting his hands up, “I guess I have no choice.”

Billy saw the man’s eyes flick to the right. “Look out!” he yelled at Black Hawk, pushing the immortal out of the way. A bullet flew past their heads, narrowly missing them.

“That was close...” Black Hawk muttered. Billy caught a hint of sarsaparilla as the Othâkîwa immortal’s aura gathered around him. Green flashes of light hit three of the conquistadores, knocking them out cold. “S’pose that means I can start shooting too?” Billy asked his companion. Black Hawk nodded, “They chose what path they wanted to take.” Grinning, the outlaw took out his gun, “Excellent.”

Back to back, Billy and Black Hawk faced the gang. Their auras filled the air with a spicy-sweet scent as the immortals fought the conquistadores together.

“Fuck,” Billy muttered after a while, “I’m out of bullets.” He looked around, but Black Hawk had been separated from him, and was now fighting with his back against the canyon wall. Billy turned and punched one of the gang members in the face. “Ow!” the man said, holding his nose. “I’ll take that,” Billy said, lifting the gun from the conquistador’s hand.

“Is that the best you’ve got?” the outlaw crowed, excited by the fight. “This isn’t a game, Billy,” Black Hawk said, “You need to-”

Billy heard his companion gasp. Looking over, he saw that one of the immortal’s had managed to sink their knife into Black Hawk’s side.He felt his stomach drop as the other man slumped to the ground.

“NO!” Billy screamed, his aura blazing like fire around him. The immortals backed away from the outlaw, raising their guns. Blinded by his rage, Billy tore through the gang to get to his friend. The conquistadores fell around him, either from his aura or the bullets that he was firing as he went. When he ran out of bullets, he threw the gun at one of the men, knocking them out. He took a knife from the body of one of the immortals, and fiercely fought the remaining gang members away from Black Hawk. He didn’t let any man escape; those that his knife couldn’t reach would be torn limb from limb by his magic.

Before Billy realized what had happened, the conquistadores were dead, their mangled bodies strewn around him. The young outlaw’s eyes widened in horror. _What have I done?_ He looked down at his hands, covered in blood. Billy felt sick to his stomach.

He heard a weak cough from behind him. He glanced around, until he saw Black Hawk laying a short distance away from him.

Running to Black Hawk’s side, Billy knelt beside the fallen man. _Oh god, oh no._ Billy looked at the growing pool of blood in despair, “Black Hawk, please say something. C’mon, please!” Sobbing, the outlaw cupped the Othâkîwa immortal’s face in his hands. “I don’t want to lose you,” he whispered. Trying to stay calm, he examined the injury. _If I remove the knife maybe his aura will heal him?_ The outlaw carefully pulled the knife from the Othâkîwa immortal’s abdomen, and then applied pressure to the wound. _Please work_ , Billy begged.

After a few painstaking moments, Black Hawk’s eyes opened. “ _Atwê_ ,” he groaned, struggling to sit up. “Yes! You’re alive!” Billy hollered, hugging the other man tightly. Disoriented, Black Hawk hugged him back. “What happened?” he asked, looking around at the remains of the escaped immortals, “Billy? Did... did you do all this yourself?”

The outlaw shook his head, “I suppose so. I still don’t really know much about using my aura yet, if I’m being completely honest with you.” He took Black Hawk’s hand gently, “I guess that seein’ you hurt set me off a bit.” If Billy didn’t know better, he would swear that the other immortal blushed.

“Well, we should probably go tell Quetzalcoatl that the mission is complete,” Black Hawk said, “before he sends another batch of servants to search for us.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Billy was not in any rush to go back to their master’s Shadowrealm. He found that he was enjoying Black Hawk’s company more and more as time went on. At least they had a few days travel before they would have to part ways again.

Black Hawk got up from the ground with a painful sigh, “We’d better get a move on.” He wobbled a bit, causing Billy to have to catch him before he fell over. “Are you okay?” the outlaw asked, worried. The Othâkîwa immortal tried waving him away, “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Just a bit tired.”

Billy looked sceptical, “Black Hawk, why don’t you rest a while longer before we head back? I can start a little fire, make something for breakfast. And you can finish healing, before you run yourself right into the ground.” Before the other man could protest, Billy laid him against the canyon wall and started gathering supplies for the fire. “You are a good person, Billy,” Black Hawk said, smiling. The outlaw turned to look at him, “I don’t think that’s true. I just know how to survive, and that is by making sure that people who can help me do that don’t end up with knife wounds in their kidneys.” The Othâkîwa immortal raised an eyebrow, “So that’s the only reason you saved me?”

Billy stuttered a bit, lost for words. “Nothing to say? That’s a first,” Black Hawk chuckled. “Oh, shut up,” the outlaw muttered, going back to the fire. He wasn’t even sure himself why he cared so much about the other immortal.

He finished cooking breakfast just as the sun began to rise above the horizon. Black Hawk watched him work, his expression soft. The early morning light cast flickering shadows on the ground. Billy sat next to the other immortal. The two men ate together, and watched the sunrise paint the sky with oranges and reds. Billy glanced at Black Hawk. He really was a striking person, handsome and strong, his copper skin glowing in the sunlight, and... _Oh no._ Billy’s thoughts came to a halt as he realized something that couldn’t possibly be true. His heart was thumping in his chest. _I like him._

There was just something about Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak that felt... right. As if he was the only person in the world that understood Billy completely, who knew what it was like to be cut off from the rest of humanity by their immortality. Most of the other immortals that Billy had met so far were detached and aloof, with no interest in the world that they had left behind. But Black Hawk was different. He still laughed, and had worries and fears and cares. He felt so human. And Billy loved him for that.

Black Hawk turned his head to look at the outlaw. “I can see you staring at me, you know,” he said, nudging Billy gently. “Sorry,” the younger immortal muttered, shifting uncomfortably. Black Hawk put a hand on Billy’s shoulder, “You don’t need to apologize, I was just wondering if something was wrong.”

Billy shook his head, “Nothin’ wrong, I was just thinkin’ that we should head back soon. The snake will be waiting for us by now.” The Othâkîwa immortal’s face fell a bit, “Yes, of course. We will also have to figure out how to show Quetzalcoatl some sort of proof of the deaths of these men.”

“We can’t really carry them back with us, I guess,” Billy said, surveying the destruction that he had caused the night before, “So, um... what’re you... going to do?” Black Hawk turned, and started rummaging through his bag. _Maybe he is looking for a knife_ , Billy thought, grimacing a bit. To the outlaw’s surprise, the Othâkîwa immortal pulled out a small rectangular box, “Is that...?”

“Yeah, a Kodak. I thought that it would be a good idea to carry one with me. Turns out I was right.” Black Hawk got to work taking photographs of the bodies. _Kinda’ morbid,_ Billy thought to himself, but it was better than any of the alternatives that he could come up with.

When Black Hawk was done, he carefully put the camera back in his bag. “We will have to send it off to get the film developed, but at least we can show the photographs to Quetzalcoatl when they are done.” Billy nodded, “I guess we can start walkin’ back now?”

“No, not yet. We should bury the bodies. They at least deserve the dignity of that,” Black Hawk said solemnly. “They wouldn’t have done the same if they were in our shoes,” Billy said, crossing his arms.

Black Hawk looked at him, “You would do well to respect the dead, Billy. Someday you may regret your actions on this battlefield, and knowing that you at least allowed their spirits to rest might bring you some comfort.” The outlaw saw something flash in the other immortal’s eyes. A haunted look, filled with grief and a deep sadness, which made Billy want to pull Black Hawk into a hug and never let him go. Instead, the outlaw just nodded, “Okay, we will bury them.”

He helped his companion dig graves, and carefully placed the remains of the conquistadores in them. Black Hawk quietly said a few words over the bodies, which Billy couldn’t quite make out. With a sigh, the Othâkîwa immortal patted Billy on the back, “Let’s go.” He started gathering up their belongings, preparing for the long walk to Quetzalcoatl’s Shadowrealm.

***

After they had travelled in relative silence for a few hours, Billy turned to Black Hawk.

“Do you wanna talk about earlier?” he asked softly. His companion glanced at him, “What do you mean?” Billy pursed his lips, “Somethin’ was bothering you when we buried those men.” Black Hawk looked away, “I’ve seen a lot of things during my lifetime, Billy. I’ve fought in multiple wars, and have seen more deaths than I wish to recount.” He stopped walking, and Billy saw tears in the other man’s eyes.

“I’m tired, Billy. I just wish that my immortal life wasn’t going to be more of the same. I don’t want to kill forever, to add more carnage to my conscience,” Black Hawk said, his voice low. He gazed at Billy, “I just hope that someday I will be allowed to find some semblance of peace.” The outlaw saw the anguish in his companion’s expression. He took a step towards the Othâkîwa immortal, and wrapped his arms around the other man. Black Hawk buried his face in Billy’s shoulder, returning the embrace.

“If you need to keep talking, let me know. I’m here for you,” Billy murmured. “Thank you,” Black Hawk said quietly, “but we shouldn’t linger here. We need to complete the job that we were given.”

Billy realized that it was best not to press the issue any further. He let the Othâkîwa immortal break away from him, and watched as he began to walk again. They spent the rest of the day without speaking, and made camp as dusk fell. Exhausted, both men fell asleep immediately.

Sometime during the night, Billy woke to find Black Hawk leaning against his shoulder. His breath felt warm against the outlaw’s neck. Careful not to move, Billy watched his friend for a while, listening to his heart beating steadily in his chest, before falling back asleep himself.

***

The next morning, the immortals continued their journey back to Quetzalcoatl’s Shadowrealm. After two more days of walking, they finally reached their destination.

Black Hawk knocked on the door of their master’s home. Another servant opened the door, and moved to let them inside.

The Feathered Serpent was waiting for them when they entered. “Did you succeed?” he hissed, his forked tongue flicking out of his mouth. “Of course,” Black Hawk replied, “and we will have proof of it after-”

“Good,” Quetzalcoatl said, interrupting the immortal. Billy bit his lip to stop himself from making a snarky retort. Black Hawk hesitated, then spoke again, “I do have one question that I would like you to answer for me.”

“Oh?” the Serpent asked, glaring at the Othâkîwa immortal.

“There were fifteen men,” Black Hawk said to the Elder, “I thought you said that there were only five.”

Quetzalcoatl’s tail swished, “Did I say that? Hmm.”

“You damned snake, you tried to get us killed!” Billy growled. Black Hawk grabbed his arm, “Watch your tone, Billy.” The outlaw huffed, but stepped back. The Feathered Serpent made a rasping sound in his throat. _Laughter?_ Billy wondered.

“This is very interesting,” Quetzalcoatl said, his feathers standing on end, “Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak, it seems that you have tamed the Kid. Well done.”

“What?” Billy said indignantly, “Listen, no one ‘tames’ me, got it? And I’ll have you know-” The Elder snarled, and lifted the outlaw up by the throat. “Do you have a death wish, child?” he whispered, his claws digging into the immortal’s flesh as Billy gasped for breath. The Serpent tightened his grip, causing the edges of Billy’s vision to go dark.

“Wait, stop!” Black Hawk said suddenly, “Quetzalcoatl, you have lost many servants this month, can you afford to lose another so soon?” The Feathered Serpent’s eyes flicked over in the Othâkîwa immortal’s direction. His tail swished back and forth in aggravation.

“You are lucky that he likes you, otherwise you would be dead already,” the Elder hissed in Billy’s ear, “He actually does his job well, so I cannot afford to lose his loyalty over a pathetic creature like yourself.” He released the outlaw, dropping him at Black Hawk’s feet.

The other immortal knelt down beside Billy, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Thank you, Quetzalcoatl,” he said, looking up at his master. The Serpent growled, but nodded his head. Black Hawk turned back to Billy, “Are you okay?” The outlaw grunted in reply, coughing and rubbing his sore neck.

Quetzalcoatl watched the two immortals closely. “Now, if you would be so kind as to get out of my Shadowrealm, I have business to attend to,” he rasped, gesturing towards the door. Black Hawk helped Billy to his feet, and together they exited their master’s home.

“You realize that you almost died back there, right?” Black Hawk said, his expression stern. Billy shrugged, “It’s not like he hasn’t threatened me before.” The Othâkîwa immortal raised an eyebrow, “That isn’t a good thing, Billy.” The two of them walked towards the nearest town, as the sun set in the west.

“So...” Billy said, smiling as he looked at Black Hawk, “do you wanna get that drink now?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically, a fic in which everything would be much easier if everyone just communicated with each other.

**Peru, 1913**

Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak sat at a table outside of a small restaurant, waiting for his companion to return with food. Him and Billy had been sent by Quetzalcoatl to locate a package that had gotten lost on its way to the Elder’s Shadowrealm.

But the journey to Peru had been long and exhausting, so the two immortals had decided to stop and get lunch before proceeding to their destination.

“Hey, I’m back!” Billy said, putting a plate down in front of the Othâkîwa immortal, “Sorry it took so long, there was a lass inside that was on the make.”i Black Hawk rolled his eyes, “Right, I’m sure that she was.” The outlaw laughed, “Oh, come on, just eat your food.”

As they ate, Black Hawk realized that there was a woman watching them from the doorway. “Billy...” he warned, but as soon as he spoke, the woman started walking towards them. The younger immortal turned to look.

“Hello,” the woman said, her voice soft, “Are you both Americans?”

“Oh, Black Hawk, this is the gal that I mentioned meeting in the restaurant,” Billy said, getting up to give her his seat. “How kind of you,” the woman said, accepting the invitation.

Black Hawk felt a sense of unease when she looked at him, “Who are you?”

“My name is Copacati. I am the one who was supposed to deliver the package to your master,” the woman said, smiling to reveal sharp teeth. Black Hawk raised an eyebrow, “Are you an Elder?”

“Next Generation,” Copacati replied. Billy looked shocked. The woman glanced at him, “Is there a problem?” Flustered, the outlaw shook his head, “No! I mean, uh, no ma’am, nothin’ wrong.”

Copacati placed a hand on Billy’s shoulder, “Good. I’d hate to think you might be scared of me.” Black Hawk pursed his lips. “Quetzalcoatl told us that the package was stolen from you. Do you know who took it?”

“Right down to business? Fine,” the goddess huffed. She took out a photograph of an ornately carved knife made from metal. “This is what your master wants. Fifteenth-century bismuth bronze, quite a valuable find. The American who found it has no clue how important it actually is, he’s just taking everything from our temples that he can get his hands on.”

Black Hawk studied the image. “So you had the knife, but you lost it?” he questioned. Copacati hissed at him, “It was taken from me. I don’t know who did it, but I have a lead that I was planning to follow up on in the morning, if you would both like to join me.”

“Of course we would!” Billy said quickly, “That’s why we’re here, to help you. Right Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak?”

The goddess didn’t wait to hear Black Hawk’s answer. She got up from the table, and ran a hand down the side of Billy’s face, “I’m so grateful for you being here. I think we will work well together, don’t you?” The outlaw nodded happily.

“I have a room in a hotel booked for the night, if you would like to stay with me,” Copacati said sweetly, “It’s not every day that I get to leave my lake, so I wanted to be comfortable.” She leaned close to Billy’s ear, “Although the bed is quite small, I think we would both fit.”

Black Hawk grimaced. He had a feeling that this was going to end badly.

***

When they got to the hotel, Copacati led them to her room. “Make yourself at home,” the goddess said, smiling at Billy. As soon as the outlaw was inside, she turned and snarled at Black Hawk, “Don’t get in my way, humani. Remember that I can easily make you disappear.”

Startled by the sudden threat, the Othâkîwa immortal took a step away from Copacati. _Something is not right here._ Her hostility was apparent in her expression.

The goddess smirked, then walked away from Black Hawk. He watched her for a moment, then followed her into the room. Billy was sitting on couch, but Copacati grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet. “We have a busy day tomorrow,” she hissed, her tongue flicking out of her mouth, “I would _love_ to go to bed early, wouldn’t you?”

“Sure,” Billy said. Black Hawk noticed that the outlaw was blushing. Copacati half-led, half-dragged Billy into the bedroom. Uncertain, Black Hawk trailed behind them.

The goddess backed Billy into the bedside table, kissing him passionately. Black Hawk cleared his throat to remind them that he was still there. Copacati turned to face him.

“If you are just going to stand around, you can always leave,” she hissed at Black Hawk. He saw her eyes flash dangerously. The Othâkîwa immortal felt himself grow cold under her gaze. Billy looked back and forth between Copacati and Black Hawk. “I’ll be fine, Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak,” the outlaw said, grinning, “Stop worrying so much.”

Black Hawk threw his hands up, “Fine, I’m leaving!” He glared at Billy, “But remember that we are on a mission. Don’t do anything stupid.” Angrily, he walked out of the room and sat down on the couch.

_Why won’t he take this seriously?_

Black Hawk heard noises coming from the bedroom. Grimacing, he quietly left the hotel. _Might as well take a walk while they are busy._

Strolling down the street, the Othâkîwa immortal gathered his thoughts together. He wasn’t sure what it was about Copacati that he didn’t trust, but something was definitely wrong. She was being too nice to Billy, but obviously wanted Black Hawk out of the way. The goddess was clearly hiding something.

Plus, whenever he saw her and Billy together he got a sinking feeling in his chest. _Maybe you are just being jealous,_ he thought to himself, but he didn’t want anything to do with Copacati at all. In fact, he couldn’t wait to leave Peru so that him and Billy would be alone again.

Sighing, he sat down on a bench, and ran his fingers through his dark hair. He looked up at the stars. The sparkling band of the Milky Way stretched across the clear night sky. Black Hawk felt an ache in his heart. Everyone that he had ever loved had died decades ago. The only person that he had left was Billy. In all of his immortal life, he had never connected with someone as quickly as he had with the young outlaw.

_Should I go back to the hotel?_ he wondered. If something happened and he wasn’t there, it would be his fault if Billy was hurt... or worse. Getting up, he walked briskly towards the hotel.

When he got inside, Billy was sitting on the couch. “Where’ve you been?” the outlaw asked, looking concerned for his friend. “I wanted to get outside for a bit,” Black Hawk said, sitting next to the outlaw, “Where is Copacati?” Billy gestured vaguely, “She went to take a shower.”

“Oh,” Black Hawk shifted in his seat, “so did you two...?” The outlaw wouldn’t look him in the eyes. Black Hawk groaned, “Billy... we are here on business. Stop being unprofessional and help me with the mission.”

Billy put his hands up defensively, “Hey, it’s not like this is gonna happen again! We just got carried away.” The Othâkîwa immortal stood up, “’Carried away’? You were a little beyond ‘carried away’ at that point, Billy.”

“Why are you so upset about this? It’s not like it affects you!” Billy said angrily.

“Of course it affects me! We are supposed to be working together!” Black Hawk snapped, “I don’t trust that goddess, Billy. She isn’t human, you cannot underestimate her powers.”

“I’m not underestimating her!” Billy said, “You are the one who is underestimating me.”

“Oh my god, William, stop being an ass! I’m trying to protect you!”

“I can protect myself.”

“No, no you can’t. You see a pretty face and instantly forget what we came here to do.”

Billy’s aura flared, “I feel like you are taking this too personally.”

“It _is_ personal! Because I-” Black Hawk abruptly stopped before he could finish. _What are you_ _saying_ _?_

“Because you what, Black Hawk?” Billy asked softly, gazing at the other immortal expectantly.

Suddenly, the door to the washroom opened and Copacati glided out. “Oh, you are back,” she hissed at Black Hawk, “I guess that is a good thing. Otherwise your master wouldn’t be too happy with me.”

She walked over and sat on Billy’s lap, staring pointedly at Black Hawk, “Were you two talking about something?”

“No,” the Othâkîwa immortal said quickly, before Billy could answer. Copacati smiled, her fangs glinting in the light, “Good. I wouldn’t want you to be distracted by anything.”

She stroked Billy’s hair absentmindedly, “Why don’t you two stay on the couch tonight? I can bring blankets over for you.” The goddess kissed the outlaw on the lips, “I wouldn’t want to scratch you in the middle of the night.” For the first time, Black Hawk noticed her sharpened nails. They glistened like knives, sleek and deadly.

“That’s fine, _s_ _eñorita,_ _”_ Billy drawled. Black Hawk sighed, “There isn’t enough room on the couch for two people.”

“Oh, what a pity,” Copacati said, grinning at him, “You will have to sleep on the floor. Good night!”

***

In the morning, Black Hawk stretched to ease his sore back. Neither him nor Billy wanted to sleep on the couch while the other could not, so they had decided to both lay on the cold wooden floor. Somehow the outlaw had stolen all of the blankets in the middle of the night, and was now wrapped tightly in the sheets. Black Hawk smiled at him, listening to the immortal’s snoring. _He looks so peaceful_ _,_ the Othâkîwa immortal thought to himself.

Billy’s eyes slowly opened. “Mornin’ Black Hawk,” he yawned, “Sleep well?”

Black Hawk got up from the floor, “As well as I could with you beside me. You snore like a bear.” The outlaw laughed, “Well, you sleep like an angel, sweetheart.” He winked at Black Hawk, who felt his face grow hot.

Chuckling to himself, Billy stood up and placed a hand on Black Hawk’s shoulder. “I’m sorry about last night, Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak. You’re right, I need to focus,” the younger immortal said quietly, looking up at his companion. “It’s fine, Billy. Let’s just finish the mission and go home,” Black Hawk said.

Billy hugged him tightly, “I’d like that.”

A hiss startled the two men. Copacati was watching them from the doorway to the bedroom. “You are up early,” the goddess said, “I hope I didn’t miss anything interesting.” Billy quickly moved away from Black Hawk, “Hey, Cati, how’re you doin’?”

Copacati smiled, “I will be much better once we locate the missing artifacts.” She walked over to Billy, and planted a kiss on his lips, “Are you ready to get started?”

Black Hawk saw the goddess’ eyes dart towards him for a moment. “Where are we going?” he questioned. Copacati wrinkled her nose at him, “All you have to know is that I have a lead and I trust it completely. Do you trust me, little bird?” Black Hawk noticed Billy tense, and shook his head slightly at the outlaw. _It would be a bad idea to cross her. We wouldn’t stand a chance._

“I am willing to go where you take us,” the Othâkîwa immortal said carefully.

The goddess grinned, “Then what are we waiting for?”

The three of them left the hotel. Black Hawk and Billy followed Copacati through the winding streets, down darkened alleyways, until they reached a run-down house on the outskirts of town.

The goddess gestured for the men to wait. She walked around the corner, and disappeared from view. Black Hawk turned to Billy, “I feel like it’s a bad idea to trust her.” The outlaw glanced at him, “She is trying to help us. Would you rather tell Quetzalcoatl that we couldn’t find his package? I’m sure he would be really forgiving.” The Othâkîwa immortal rolled his eyes, “If something goes wrong, be prepared to fight back.” Billy pursed his lips, but didn’t respond.

Suddenly, Copacati’s voice called out to them. “Over here!”

They walked over to her. She was pointing up towards an open window, “Do you think we could get through it?” Black Hawk looked at Billy. The smaller man sighed, “I guess I’m gonna try.”

Together, Black Hawk and Copacati lifted Billy up so that he could reach the window. “Got it!” he said, wriggling through. The Othâkîwa immortal heard a soft thump as the outlaw hit the floor inside. “Is he okay?” whispered the goddess. Black Hawk shrugged, “He’s been through worse.”

A click came from the door, and it swung open. Billy had a triumphant look in his eye, “Pretty impressive, huh?” Copacati laughed, “I thought that you would have broken something from that fall.” The outlaw grinned, “I’m invincible, babe.” The goddess glanced at Black Hawk, “How do you put up with him?” The Othâkîwa immortal shook his head, “With an enormous amount of patience and willpower.”

“Hey!” Billy said, crossing his arms. Copacati smiled, and entered the building. Black Hawk followed close behind her. As they walked, his eyes adjusted to the dark and he began to make out shapes in the shadows. Boxes, crates, chests, all filled with precious gold and metal artifacts. “What is this place?” he murmured.

“Black Hawk, look!” Billy said, pointing ahead of them. A small parcel wrapped in brown paper was sitting on a table in the middle of the room. “That’s the package!” Copacati exclaimed. A warning bell went of in Black Hawk’s head. _This is too easy._

He started to move towards Quetzalcoatl’s package, but felt the goddess put a hand on his shoulder. “Your master and I have known each other for a very long time,” she said slowly, “and for centuries we have had similar thoughts about the humani and their place in the universe. Did you know that the Dark Elders have plans for this world that you could barely dream of?” Black Hawk looked at her. Her eyes were wide, and filled with sorrow. “Copacati, what’s wrong?” he whispered.

Suddenly, Black Hawk felt the goddess grab his hair roughly. She pulled him towards her, and unsheathed a knife from where it had been concealed at her side. “Woah, hey! What are you doing?” Billy said, his aura flaring around him.

“You will find that my loyalties have changed over the years,” she hissed, the knife pressed against Black Hawk’s neck. “The Dark Elders aren’t powerful enough to win their war. I do not want to die fighting for a lost cause.”

Black Hawk twisted so that he could reach his gun. When it was in his hand, he pressed it against Copacati’s side. “I’d be careful where I pointed that weapon, humani,” the goddess spat.

“Copacati, please,” Billy said, holding his hand out, “drop the knife. We aren’t gonna get anywhere if we all keep threatening each other like this.”

The goddess growled at him. Black Hawk felt the knife cutting into his skin. He grit his teeth against the pain. Billy raised his hands in surrender, “Cati, c’mon, you don’t have to do this.”

“One of these artifacts is powerful enough to ensure my survival, no matter what the outcome of the war is,” she snarled, “and I will not let it fall into the hands of your master, even if I have to kill both of you right here.” Copacati’s voice fell, “I want you to know that this is nothing personal, boys. I just have to think of myself first right now.”

“Wait!” Black Hawk gasped, “We don’t want the rest of the artifacts, only the one that Quetzalcoatl sent us here to get.” Billy took a step forward, “Yeah, Black Hawk is right. The snake doesn’t even know about this other stuff, why should we give it to him?”

Copacati glanced back and forth between the two immortals.

“You... would let me keep it without a fight?” the goddess said softly. Black Hawk nodded, “Of course. We are only here for Quetzalcoatl’s package. The rest is yours.”

“Oh,” Copacati whispered, letting go of the Othâkîwa immortal’s hair. He quickly moved away from her, over to Billy’s side. The outlaw reached out and grabbed Black Hawk’s hand, giving it a squeeze.

The goddess stared at them, “I thought... I was sure that Quetzalcoatl sent you here to kill me. I assumed that he had somehow found out that I was keeping this collection for myself.”

“We had no idea that you were hiding anything from our master,” Black Hawk said.

“Damn it!” Copacati swore, throwing her knife across the room, “I would have murdered two humani for nothing.” She looked at the immortals, “I am truly sorry for my rash actions.”

Billy glanced at Black Hawk, “Are you okay, Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak?” He nodded, “Just a scratch, nothing serious.” The outlaw turned to Copacati, “Since Black Hawk is fine, I guess there is no harm done.” _Does he think he would have taken on a goddess if I wasn’t fine?_ the Othâkîwa immortal wondered. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to know the answer to that.

Copacati looked like a weight had lifted off of her. She walked over, and picked up the package from the table. The goddess handed it to Black Hawk, “Take this to your master, so that you can complete your task.” The Othâkîwa immortal bowed his head gratefully, “Thank you, Copacati.” She nodded, smiling slightly.

Billy was still keeping his distance from the goddess. She looked at him, then turned and started walking out of the building. “You two should really get back to Quetzalcoatl before he becomes suspicious,” she called over her shoulder.

With that, Copacati disappeared out the door. “What just happened?” Billy asked. “We almost died. Again,” Black Hawk sighed, “Better follow her, though, otherwise we’ll never find our way through this town.”

***

When the three of them got back to the hotel, the immortals began packing their bags, preparing to leave for Quetzalcoatl’s Shadowrealm.

“Billy, go put this in your suitcase. We have to get going soon,” Black Hawk said, handing the package to the outlaw. “Sure thing!” Billy smiled at his friend.

When the younger immortal had left, Copacati turned to Black Hawk. “I’m sorry that I was so rude to you before. I knew that Billy would be easy to distract, but you seemed much too focused on your mission.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” Black Hawk smiled, “I understand why you hid your true intentions.”

Copacati grinned, “Plus, the method of distraction I used on Billy wouldn’t have worked on you anyway. I have noticed that you only have eyes for one person.”

“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Black Hawk said evenly. The goddess laughed, “Of course not. How silly of me.” She put a hand on the Othâkîwa immortal’s shoulder, and stared into his eyes.

“Look after Billy, okay? He’s a good man, if not slightly foolish. It would be a shame for his spark to be extinguished before its time,” Copacati murmured. Black Hawk nodded, “I will.”

The goddess tilted her head slightly, “Be kinder to yourself as well, Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak. You are suffering alone, yet you have no reason to do so. Let him in.” Black Hawk looked away from her, “It’s not that simple.” Copacati smiled, “You humani make everything so complicated. But if you are going to be stubborn, so be it.”

Billy strolled up to them, hands in his pockets, “ _Hol_ _a._ What’re you talkin’ about?”

“You,” the goddess said, “and how ridiculously adorable you are.” Billy blushed, “Oh, um...” He glanced at Black Hawk, quickly changing the subject, “I did what you asked me to do, the package is safe.”

“Good,” said Copacati, “I hope that your travels are uneventful.”

“Um... aren’t you coming with us?” Billy asked, shifting uncomfortably.

“Sorry Billy. You are cute, but not really... how should I put this...? My type?” Copacati winked at the outlaw, who looked slightly relieved.

The two immortals bade farewell to the lake goddess, and, gathering their bags, left the hotel.

As they walked, Black Hawk watched Billy closely. Copacati’s words echoed in his head. _Let him in._ He dismissed the thought. There was no need for his friend to listen to his troubles. The younger immortal was too carefree to worry about him. Billy saw the Othâkîwa immortal looking at him, “Somethin’ on your mind, Black Hawk?”

The other man shook his head, “I was just thinking about the past.”

“Ah, carry on then,” Billy said.

The Othâkîwa immortal turned to face his companion, “Actually, I did have a question for you.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“What happened between you and Copacati?” Black Hawk said, grinning, “I thought that you two really hit it off last night?” The outlaw looked at him in shock.

“She is completely covered in scales, Black Hawk!” Billy whispered to his companion, “Do you know how uncomfortable that was?” The Othâkîwa immortal laughed, “Serves you right.” Billy rolled his eyes, “Come on, shut up.”

“So, part snake, part human?” Black Hawk said, pretending to contemplate something, “She is almost like Quetzalcoatl in a way, isn’t she?”

“No, stop,” the outlaw said quickly, “do _not_ finish that thought!” Black Hawk chuckled. “If I wasn’t carrying this package you’d be sorry right now,” Billy said, trying to keep a straight face. The Othâkîwa immortal grinned at his friend, “You know you only come up to my shoulder, right?”

“Oh, you are very funny,” Billy said, his lips twitching into a smile. Black Hawk wrapped his arm around the outlaw’s shoulders, “I know I am. Who else would be able to tease William Bonney and get away with it?”

Billy laughed, “Absolutely no one except you, Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak.”

Smiling at each other, the two immortals began their journey home.

***

Endnotes:

iSlang from the 1910s, means that someone was flirting, or making advances on a person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy and Black Hawk report back to Quetzalcoatl after their trip to Peru.

“And that is all you have to report?” Quetzalcoatl hissed, studying his servants’ faces. Black Hawk nodded, “I have told you everything that happened in Peru.” He gestured for Billy to come closer, “Here is your package, as ordered.”

Billy pulled the carefully wrapped knife out of his bag. Walking over to where his master and the other immortal were standing, he handed the artifact to the Feathered Serpent.

“I expected Copacati to accompany you back to my Shadowrealm,” Quetzalcoatl said, narrowing his eyes at Billy as he took the package. Before the outlaw could speak, Black Hawk answered their master’s inquiry, “She had other business to attend to, but she sends her regards to you.”

“Probably getting another object for her collection...” the Serpent muttered, swishing his tail, “It’s almost as good as mine, I hear.” Billy glanced at Black Hawk, and could tell that his friend was thinking the same thing that he was. _We almost got killed over_ _Copacati’s_ _collection_ _, and Quetzalcoatl already knew_ _about it_ _?_

“Do you have any other jobs for us?” Black Hawk asked. The Feathered Serpent looked at him, “Not at the moment. You may go if you would like.”

The Othâkîwa immortal bowed his head slightly to acknowledge Quetzalcoatl, then turned and walked out of the room. Billy followed behind him.

“Oh, Billy, come here for a moment,” the Serpent hissed. The outlaw stopped walking. Black Hawk immediately looked back, worried, “Quetzalcoatl, if something is wrong-”

The Elder dismissed him with a wave of the hand, “This doesn’t concern you, Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak. Leave us.”

Black Hawk grasped Billy’s shoulder. “Be careful,” he whispered to his friend. Billy nodded, giving the Othâkîwa immortal a quick smile.

“I don’t have all day,” Quetzalcoatl sighed, his feathers bristling on his head. Taking a deep breath, Billy approached his master.

The Serpent looked at the immortal. “What did you do?” he asked, his forked tongue flicking out of his mouth. Billy crossed his arms, “I don’t know what you’re referring to.”

“Don’t play dumb with me, boy. Others may fall for your act, but I am not so easily fooled. You hide under your exuberance, but you are cunning underneath,” Quetzalcoatl snarled, “I know that Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak was hiding something, I could see it in his eyes. Did something happen that you are not telling me?”

Billy shifted uncomfortably. Black Hawk had left out the fact that Copacati was no longer working for the interests of the Dark Elders, in order to protect the goddess from any harm that might befall her. “He included everything that was of relevance to the mission in his report,” the outlaw said. He smirked, “I mean, I could tell ya’ all the stuff I was up to during the trip, but I doubt that you wanna hear the details of that.” Quetzalcoatl grimaced, “No, that is alright. I will take your word for it.”

“But,” the Feathered Serpent continued, leaning forward, “if I find that you have lied about anything at all, even the most minute detail, I promise that you will wish for death.” The outlaw tried not to move, in case the Elder decided to make good on his threat sooner than planned. “Trust me, Black Hawk told you everything.”

“Good,” Quetzalcoatl murmured, “because if he didn’t, I will make you watch as I kill him first. And I will enjoy the look on your face immensely as you see the life leave his body.”

Billy narrowed his eyes. It was one thing to have his own life threatened, but he felt his anger growing as he heard the Elder threaten his friend.

“Do you want to know how I would kill him?” Quetzalcoatl asked, his voice filled with false sympathy. Billy grit his teeth, biting back a sharp reply. The Serpent crept closer, and whispered in the outlaw’s ear. Horrified by what the Elder said, Billy gasped out loud, his hand flying up to cover his mouth.

The Feathered Serpent smiled, “So you see why it is important for you to tell me if there is anything missing from Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak’s report.” Billy felt his heart pounding in his chest. _There is no way that he actually knows that something is wrong. He is just trying to trick_ _me._ But the outlaw was still terrified for his friend.

“If... if I remember any more details, I’ll let ya’ know,” Billy said, not meeting the Elder’s eyes. Quetzalcoatl hissed, “I am sure that you will.”

“Can I go now?” the immortal asked, his voice shaking. The Serpent nodded, “You may leave. But do not forget our conversation.”

Billy turned, and slowly walked away from his master. A tear escaped from his eye, and slid down his face. Trying to keep his breathing steady, he brushed the tear away.

Black Hawk was waiting for him outside. “Are you okay?” he questioned, looking Billy over. “Yeah, yeah,” the outlaw said, “the snake just wanted to hear my side of the story.” He glanced at Black Hawk, “He thinks we are hiding something.”

The Othâkîwa immortal pursed his lips, “What did you tell him?”

“The same thing you did.”

“Well, then, everything is fine.”

Billy stared at his friend. Black Hawk seemed so calm that the outlaw felt himself relaxing as well. He smiled at the Othâkîwa immortal, “Let’s go home.”

***

As the outlaw left the room, Quetzalcoatl chuckled to himself. _He is just too easy to control._ The Kid didn’t care if his own life was in danger, he was used to that. But the Serpent knew his weakness: William Bonney was too compassionate. At the slightest sign of a friend being threatened, Billy would leap to the defence, often giving away vital details at the same time.

And there was no one that Billy would defend more fiercely than Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak.

Quetzalcoatl had watched the two immortals closely over the past few decades, and had seen how much they meant to each other.

And love could always be exploited.

The Feathered Serpent swished his tail thoughtfully. He wouldn’t actually have harmed Black Hawk. If he was being honest with himself, he quite liked the Othâkîwa immortal. But a threat against his life was the only thing that might make Billy nervous enough to tell the truth.

_I can wait for him to break,_ Quetzalcoatl thought. After all, he had all the time in the world.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip to Egypt results in feelings being talked about (and a lot of crying).

**Cairo, 1923**

The desert sun shone down on Black Hawk’s face as he waited for his companion to arrive.

Him and Billy had been sent to Egypt in order to steal an artifact from the newly discovered tomb of the pharaoh Tuthankhamun. Black Hawk had been on a mission in Greece when he got Quetzalcoatl’s message, so it had taken him barely any time to reach his destination. Billy, who had still been in America, seemed not to have been in a rush to get there.

Sighing, Black Hawk tapped a finger impatiently on the table. _Where are you, Billy?_

He smelled the outlaw before he saw him, the spicy scent of cayenne wisping through the air. Getting up, he turned in time to see Billy bounding towards him, arms wide. Laughing (and bracing for the impact), Black Hawk caught Billy as he jumped at him, hugging him tightly.

“It’s been too long!” Billy exclaimed, looking the Othâkîwa immortal up and down, “Your last letter came two weeks ago, I was starting to worry a bit.” The outlaw looked at Black Hawk, eyes wide, “Quetzalcoatl kept telling me about all of the monsters that are currently in Greece.... All I know is that I would never go in the water there.”

Black Hawk chuckled, “If it makes you feel any better, I was on dry land the whole time.”

Billy looked relieved, “Good.” He smiled again, “So are you coming home after this? I miss you being around all the time.”

“I think so,” Black Hawk said, “I guess it depends on whether or not Quetzalcoatl has another job for me.” Billy pouted, “I think that the snake is trying to keep us separated after the incident in Peru. He still questions me about it from time to time.” The Othâkîwa immortal frowned, “I had thought that by now he would have forgotten about it.” Billy shrugged, “Not yet.”

“Anyway,” the outlaw continued, “I’m glad that we are together for this mission.” Black Hawk nodded, “Me too.”

Billy looked like he was about to say something else, but closed his mouth again. “Is something wrong?” Black Hawk asked. The outlaw shook his head quickly, “No, it’s nothing.” He grinned at the Othâkîwa immortal, “So, what job does Quetzalcoatl have for us today?”

“A tomb has been discovered in the Valley of the Kings,” Black Hawk said, “Our master wants us to... acquire an artifact from it.” Billy raised an eyebrow, “You mean steal?”

“Quetzalcoatl knew the pharaoh who was buried in that tomb personally. He says that it is important that this relic be recovered and brought back to him.”

“Hmm,” Billy mumbled, “What exactly are we looking for?”

“I don’t know,” Black Hawk pulled an envelope out of his jacket pocket. “He sent me this, with instructions not to open it until we reach the treasure chamber.”

“Vague, as always,” Billy sighed.

Black Hawk laughed. “Come on,” he said, “we should start walking now, before we lose the light.”

“How far do we have to go?”

“You wouldn’t like it if I told you.”

***

A few days later, they arrived at the Valley of the Kings. People were milling about, carrying golden artifacts out of the newly rediscovered tomb.

The two immortals hid behind an outcropping of rock.

“We have to wait until the looters leave,” Black Hawk said quietly. “You mean the archaeologists?” Billy asked, confused.

The Othâkîwa immortal looked at his companion, “I mean the white men that are taking everything out of a sacred place of burial, without any regard for the people who were laid to rest here, just to put their bodies on display back in Europe. They are looters, Billy.” The outlaw grew silent, staring at the ground. Black Hawk gently put a hand on his shoulder.

“Once night falls, we can slip inside and find the treasure chamber. Hopefully whatever Quetzalcoatl wants is still in there,” he said, his concern growing as he watched how many relics were being taken away from the area.

As the sun slipped below the horizon, the men slowly left the dig site.

Black Hawk waited until the last one was out of sight, then gestured for Billy to follow him.

They entered the dark tomb. Using their auras to create light, they examined the passageway. “Seems empty,” Billy whispered. They started to look around for the chamber. “It would have been nice if Quetzalcoatl had given us a map,” Black Hawk muttered. He saw a door, and walked through it...

...coming face-to-face with a man dressed in a suit, sporting a well-groomed moustache.

The man looked taken aback by the immortal. “You aren’t one of my diggers,” he said sharply, “Actually, I’m not sure what you are.”

“I am...” Black Hawk froze, trying to decide what to say. “My name is Gamesett,” he said, using the name of one of his sons.

“Oh, one of those American specimens, are you?” the man said, wrinkling his nose. Black Hawk glared down at him.

“I am Howard Carter,” the man replied, sticking his chin in the air as he tried to pull himself up to Black Hawk’s height, “and you, my uncivilized friend, are trespassing.”

Black Hawk saw Billy creeping up behind Carter with a short stick in his hand. The Othâkîwa immortal caught his eye and shook his head.

“What are you looking at, you sa-” Carter turned around, just as Billy struck him with the stick. The Englishman collapsed to the ground unconscious.

“ _M_ _anetôwa..._ ” Black Hawk muttered, looking to the sky in exasperation. “It worked, didn’t it?” Billy grinned.

Black Hawk smiled slightly, and stepped over Carter. He lifted the light so that he could make out what was in the room.

“Billy, come look at these,” Black Hawk said, pointing at the paintings on the wall of the tomb. “Impressive,” the outlaw said, clearly not paying attention, “Hey, Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak? The floor feels kinda’ weird over here.”

“Stop bouncing on it,” the Othâkîwa immortal said, quickly walking over to Billy’s side. Suddenly, he heard a crack, and the floor gave out underneath him, sending him tumbling down into a dark pit. He heard a shrill scream as his companion fell in after him.

Billy landed on Black Hawk, winding him. Tensing, the Othâkîwa immortal felt the outlaw’s weight shift as he struggled to catch his breath. Billy pushed himself up, so that he was sitting on Black Hawk’s lap, his legs spread to either side for stability. “Oh,” Billy said softly, as he realized who he was on top of. Black Hawk felt his face grow hot, “Billy, I-”

He was cut off by the outlaw pressing his lips against his. Billy pulled him closer, his hands tangled in Black Hawk’s hair. He could taste Billy’s aura as they kissed, the spicy scent burning his tongue.

Black Hawk knew that he should stop his companion, that he should break away from the embrace. But it felt so good. And he had wanted this for so long. He closed his eyes, letting Billy’s hands wander down his body. A quiet moan escaped his lips as the outlaw slid his fingers past Black Hawk’s belt.

Suddenly, Billy pushed away from him. “What the hell am I doing?” he gasped, “Oh my god, Black Hawk, I’m so sorry.” The Othâkîwa immortal steadied his breathing, “It’s okay, I... I don’t-” He couldn’t think of anything to say.

“Fuck,” Billy muttered, running a hand through his hair. He had a panicked expression, and was avoiding Black Hawk’s eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry... Oh god, what have I done?”

“Billy, calm down,” Black Hawk said, standing up, “You didn’t do anything wrong.” The outlaw took a step away from him, “No, I made a mistake, I didn’t... I wouldn’t...”

“William,” the Othâkîwa immortal said sharply, “Listen to me right now. I don’t care what we did. We can pretend that this never happened, if that is what you want.” He grasped Billy’s shoulders, “You are my friend, nothing has changed. But you have to calm down, Billy. You are hyperventilating.”

Billy looked at Black Hawk, his breathing shallow. Tears slid down his face, but Black Hawk wiped them away with the back of his hand. “It’s okay, Billy,” he said softly, “I know that you are confused right now, but I want you to realize that I am not upset.” The younger immortal nodded, “Yeah, okay.” Black Hawk could hear Billy’s heart slowing to its normal pace. “Can we forget about this?” the outlaw asked quietly.

“Forget about what?” Black Hawk replied, smiling. Billy looked grateful. _I won’t let this ruin our friendship_ , Black Hawk thought to himself, _even if I have to hide how I feel for the rest of my life._

Billy took a deep breath, “We should try to get out of here, I suppose.” He started looking around for an exit. Black Hawk chuckled, “I hope there is a door somewhere, otherwise we are going to join the rest of the mummies down here.”

“What?” Billy said, sounding worried. Black Hawk made a small light with his aura, its green glow illuminating the room. They were surrounded by bodies.

“Holy shit!” Billy screeched, moving away from the wall. “It’s just a few mummies, they aren’t going to hurt you,” Black Hawk said. He walked around the room, looking for some sort of passageway. Billy trailed behind him closely, not wanting to be left alone.

Black Hawk saw an outline on one of the walls. “Does this look like a door to you?” he asked Billy. The outlaw shrugged, “I guess. How do we open it?”

The Othâkîwa immortal pushed against the door. Dust came down from the ceiling, making him cough. “You okay?” Billy questioned. Black Hawk nodded, and continued pressing himself against the wall.

“I don’t mean to doubt your strength, but don’t you think that it may be sealed?” Billy said to his companion. Black Hawk looked at him, then put the palm of his hand on to the surface of the stone. His aura flickered to life once more as he concentrated. The door shattered, sending Black Hawk flying backwards into the wall.

***

Billy stood still for a moment, shocked by the explosion. Then he ran to Black Hawk’s side. The other immortal was unconscious, a stream of blood running down his face from where it made contact with the wall. Billy cradled Black Hawk’s head in his lap, gently wiping the blood away with the sleeve of his shirt. “Wake up, please,” he whispered, “Dammit, Black Hawk, open your eyes.”

At the sound of Billy’s voice, Black Hawk stirred. He looked around in a daze, his eyes unfocused. “What happened?” he murmured, trying to sit up. “Hey, slow down there,” Billy said, “You just hit your head pretty hard.”

“I don’t... what happened? Billy, are you okay?” Black Hawk asked. “Yeah, I’m fine, but you should really lay down for a minute,” the outlaw said, making his companion stay still. “I don’t know what happened...” Black Hawk repeated, looking at Billy.

Billy put a hand on Black Hawk’s arm, “We are in the tomb, remember? The floor broke, and we fell.” He paused for a moment, “Then you used magic to open this door, but the force made you hit against the wall.”

Black Hawk sat up, and leaned against Billy, “The last thing I remember is telling you to look at the wall paintings.” _He doesn’t remember the kiss,_ the outlaw thought to himself, his heart leaping. “Are you feeling well enough to stand?” Billy asked, “We should get you outside, into the fresh air.”

“I think so,” Black Hawk said, “if you help me up.” Billy assisted the Othâkîwa immortal to his feet. Black Hawk swayed a bit, “I think I’m going to be sick.” The outlaw held him up so he didn’t fall.

“Do you think you can walk enough to get out of here?” Billy said. Black Hawk nodded, then winced, “ _A_ _twê..._ my head is spinning...” Pursing his lips, the outlaw lifted his friend into his arms. “Billy, you are not strong enough to carry me out of here,” Black Hawk murmured, looking up at the other immortal. Struggling with the weight, Billy started walking out of the room.

“Shit,” Billy said, stopping in his tracks. “What’s wrong?” Black Hawk asked, his eyes closed. Billy glared at the tunnel ahead of him, “This door doesn’t lead outside, it leads farther into this fucking tomb.”

“Can you not talk so loudly?” the other man groaned, “I have a splitting headache.”

“Sorry,” Billy whispered, lowering his voice. “Well,” said Black Hawk, “we have to finish the mission anyway.” He smiled at the outlaw, “Might as well get it over with.”

Billy grimaced, and slowly began walking deeper into the darkened tunnel. After a few minutes, Black Hawk told him to stop. “I think I can stand now,” he said. Billy set him on his feet, and, still supporting him, helped the Othâkîwa immortal to walk. They travelled in silence until they reached another door.

“Seriously?” Billy exclaimed, “How are we gonna open this one?”

“Why don’t you try the handle?” Black Hawk smirked, pointing. Embarrassed, Billy pushed the door open. “Damn, that’s a lot of gold!” the outlaw gasped, looking around the room.

From floor to ceiling, treasure filled the chamber. “I’ve never seen anything like this!” Billy said, picking up one of the objects to admire it.

***

Black Hawk leaned against a pillar to support himself. He took Quetzalcoatl’s letter out of his jacket pocket. Opening it, he looked to see what they were meant to find in the treasure chamber. He expected it to be one of the golden vases, or a statue of some sort. But what he saw surprised him.

On the papyrus was a drawing of what appeared to be a child’s toy. It was shaped like a bird, with outstretched wings. _A falcon, or a hawk_ _perhaps_ _,_ the Othâkîwa immortal thought. Choosing his steps carefully (his head was still pounding from the impact against the wall), Black Hawk walked through the chamber in search of the object.

“Black Hawk, we could be rich!” Billy shouted from the other side of the room. “Don’t touch anything,” Black Hawk said, “We are only going to take what we came here for. This is a tomb, please respect that.”

Using his aura to make a light again, Black Hawk looked for the toy. He saw a small chest in the corner of the chamber. Compared to the other artifacts, this box was simple, and was made of dark wood. There was a design carved into the lid. As Black Hawk brought the light closer, he could make out what the image was. _A snake, wrapped around the sun._

Careful not to break the delicate box, the Othâkîwa immortal lifted the lid to see what was inside. The only thing that the box was holding was the little wooden bird. Black Hawk slowly took it out, examining it to make sure it wasn’t damaged. It looked well-worn, as if it had been played with many times. His chest tightened as he held the object in his hands, his mind wandering back to memories of his own children, long dead. Blinking back tears, he stared down at the wooden falcon.

“Did ya’ find it?” Billy’s voice snapped Black Hawk back to the present day. He put the object into his bag. “Yeah, I got the artifact, let’s get out of here,” Black Hawk called back to Billy.

The two of them made their way out of the treasure chamber, back into the tunnel that they had come from. When they got to the end of the passageway, Black Hawk helped Billy climb up, out of the hole that had led them to the tomb. The outlaw reached down, and grasping the Othâkîwa immortal’s hands, pulled his companion up after him.

When they left the tomb, it had grown dark outside. “Wanna head back to the hotel?” Billy asked, putting his arm around Black Hawk, “You are still kind of shaky.”

Black Hawk nodded, “I definitely need to lie down for a while.”

They walked into town, and settled into their room for the night.

“Sit down,” Billy said, pointing to the bed. Black Hawk obliged. The outlaw went in to the bathroom, and came back with a damp cloth. Sitting down beside his friend, Billy started gently cleaning Black Hawk’s wound.

“You know, I could just heal this with my aura,” the Othâkîwa immortal murmured, wincing as Billy wiped the side of his head. “Sure you could. But that wouldn’t get rid of the blood that’s already there. Hold still.”

“Thank you,” Black Hawk said. Billy looked at him, smiling softly, “I want us to spend time together without you getting injured someday, okay?”

“I don’t think Quetzalcoatl would send us on a mission that didn’t involve some sort of danger,” the Othâkîwa immortal chuckled.

Billy pursed his lips, “Actually, I thought that maybe we could go out some time. You know, just the two of us?” Black Hawk felt himself blush, “W-what do you mean?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Billy said quickly, “I was just thinkin’ coffee or something.”

“Yeah, sure,” Black Hawk didn’t know what else to say. _It’s not like he asked you on a date,_ _calm down_ _._ Billy finished cleaning the other immortal’s wound, his fingers lingering on Black Hawk’s skin.

“So,” the outlaw said, getting up from the bed, “what exactly did we steal today?” He grabbed Black Hawk’s bag and reached in. “Hey, hold on!” the Othâkîwa immortal said, but Billy had already taken the delicate artifact out.

“It’s just a wooden bird?” Billy said, disappointed, “I was hopin’ for a big gold statue or somethin’ like that.” Black Hawk sighed, “How would we have carried a gold statue back?”

“Dunno, but we could’ve figured somethin’ out,” the outlaw muttered. He put the toy back in the bag, and sat down again, “It’s pretty anti-climactic, isn’t it? To come all this way for an ol’ thing like that?”

“Tutankhamun was a child when he ruled Egypt. A boy-king who, if history is correct, died before reaching the age of twenty,” Black Hawk said, “If you were his father, how do you think you would feel about that?” Billy shrugged, “Not great, I guess? But what does that have to do with a piece of wood?”

“Never mind,” the Othâkîwa immortal said, laying down. Billy lay beside him. The room that they had booked only had one bed, but they had worked together long enough that neither of them cared.

Black Hawk felt Billy tap him on the shoulder. He rolled over to look at the outlaw. “I’m gonna stay up for a while and watch you to make sure everything is okay,” Billy whispered. “Why?” Black Hawk said, staring at the other man. “Because you got knocked out today? And I don’t want anything to happen to you.” The Othâkîwa immortal could hear the stress in Billy’s voice. The outlaw was terrified.

“Okay, Billy. Just don’t stay up too late, or I’ll have to drag you back to Quetzalcoatl’s Shadowrealm in the morning,” he said, smiling reassuringly.

Billy nodded. Black Hawk reached over and took Billy’s hand in his own. “Good night,” he said softly.

“Night,” the outlaw said.

***

As Black Hawk slept, Billy held his hand, afraid to let go. _He is fine. Probably mostly healed by his aura_ _already,_ the outlaw thought. But he couldn’t bring himself to close his eyes.

Billy listened to Black Hawk’s heart beating.

_What would I do if something actually happened to him?_

The thought came out of nowhere. Billy felt his stomach turn as he contemplated the possibility. The idea that this man, whom the outlaw had grown to love more dearly than anyone else that he knew, might be taken away from him was something that Billy never wanted to experience.

Billy moved closer to Black Hawk, and wrapped his arms around him. Grumbling, the Othâkîwa immortal opened his eyes. “What’s wrong?” he murmured, when he realized that Billy was clinging to his body. “I can’t sleep,” the outlaw said sheepishly. “Oh,” Black Hawk hugged Billy closer to him.

“You know you are my best friend, right?” Billy whispered to his companion. Black Hawk chuckled softly, “And you are mine.” The outlaw smiled slightly, snuggling up to Black Hawk’s chest.

The two immortals fell asleep in each other’s arms.

***

Later that week, Black Hawk and Billy stood on their master’s doorstep to deliver the artifact.

After knocking twice, Black Hawk let himself in. “Wait, shouldn’t we hold on until the snake comes to greet us?” Billy questioned, looking up at the other man. “If he didn’t want us to enter, he should have locked the door,” Black Hawk said, winking at the outlaw.

Striding through the hallway, the Othâkîwa immortal looked for the Feathered Serpent. “Hey Quetzalcoatl, you home?” Billy shouted.

“Who’s there?” came a hiss from the other room.

“Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak and William Bonney,” said Black Hawk, walking towards the voice.

Quetzalcoatl looked dishevelled, his feathers out of place. His tail was frantically waving behind him. A loose-fitting robe engulfed the rest of his body.

“Did you find it?” the Elder said, his throat hoarse.

“What happened to you?” Billy smirked. Quetzalcoatl snarled at him, moving closer to the two immortals.

“I am currently resisting the urge to drown you in _chocolatl_ and eat you,” the Serpent said coldly, flicking his tongue in Billy’s face.

Black Hawk stepped in between the two of them. “We brought the object that you sent us to retrieve,” he said to their master.

Quetzalcoatl turned to Billy, “Get out, now.”

“What? I ain’t leavin’ until the job is done,” the outlaw said indignantly. The Elder growled at him, but then stopped suddenly, putting a hand on Black Hawk’s shoulder. The Othâkîwa immortal felt his heart skip a beat.

Billy immediately froze. “I’ll leave, fine. Just... just don’t touch him.” Quetzalcoatl smiled, “That’s a good boy.”

The outlaw looked at Black Hawk, who nodded. He turned and left the building. Black Hawk watched until he couldn’t see Billy anymore, then changed his focus to the Serpent.

Quetzalcoatl patted him on the shoulder, then dropped his hands to his sides. “So,” he said, “I believe you have what I want.”

Cautiously, Black Hawk pulled the wooden bird out of his bag. The Feathered Serpent took it from him, his eyes wide.

The Elder cradled the bird in his hands, not speaking. Black Hawk wondered if he had forgotten that he was still there.

“ _K_ _ewâwiyâmene_ ,”i Quetzalcoatl said suddenly, looking at Black Hawk. The immortal nodded silently, shocked to hear his master speak in his language.

“This object is very important to Aten...” the Feathered Serpent murmured, holding it gently, “And... to me as well.”

“I understand,” Black Hawk said softly.

Quetzalcoatl glanced at him. “I know you do,” he whispered, looking away again.

“Are you alright?” the immortal asked.

The Elder closed his eyes, “No.” He turned and walked away from Black Hawk, leaving him alone in the room.

***

Billy was impatiently waiting for Black Hawk outside. “So? What did he say? Why was a piece of wood so important that we had to go halfway across the world to get it?”

“Some things have value beyond what the materials cost, Billy,” the Othâkîwa immortal said quietly. The outlaw snorted, “We could have just taken a branch from the forest and given that to him. Would have saved us a lot of trouble.”

Angrily, Black Hawk turned to face his companion. “You have no fucking idea what it feels like to lose a child,” he snapped. Billy’s eyes widened in shock, “Oh, oh no... Ma-ka-tai-”

“I don’t want to hear it, Billy,” Black Hawk said, walking away from the outlaw. He felt a hand grab his arm. Billy was looking at him, his expression soft. “Please don’t leave.”

Black Hawk glared at him, “I had to turn my back on my family in order to move on. Do you know how hard that was? I faked an illness, let my remaining children and As-she-we-qua think I was dead.” Trying to stay calm, he took a deep breath. The younger immortal took a step towards him, and carefully took his hand.

“I am so sorry for what I said,” Billy began, “I had no idea that you were having such a hard time right now.” Black Hawk felt tears in his eyes, but blinked them away quickly.

“You had no way of knowing,” he said quietly, his voice shaking, “I... didn’t want to tell you. Didn’t want you to worry about me...”

“May I hug you?” Billy asked. Black Hawk nodded, and allowed Billy to wrap his arms around him.

“Do you want to talk about it?” the outlaw whispered, “You know that I am always here for you.”

“I miss them Billy. There are days when I can barely get out of bed, when I can’t stop thinking about what I left behind,” Black Hawk said, tears sliding down his face. Billy gently nodded, “It’s okay, you’re going to be okay.”

“Sometimes I can’t even remember their faces...” Black Hawk sobbed into Billy’s shoulder. The outlaw held him tightly, not speaking.

Black Hawk cried, letting Billy comfort him. After trying to hold his pain in for so many years, it felt strange to let it out. His companion pulled him closer. They stood in place for a long time, until Black Hawk felt himself calming down.

“Thank you for sharing with me,” Billy said softly, “I want you to tell me when something is wrong, okay? You are my friend, Black Hawk, don’t forget that. You don’t need to face anything alone anymore.”

The Othâkîwa immortal nodded, breaking away from the embrace. “ _K_ _etêpihi,_ ii Billy,” he said, quickly kissing the outlaw on the forehead. “You should teach me that sometime,” Billy whispered.

“Teach you what?”

“Your language. At least a little bit,” the younger immortal said, looking up at Black Hawk, “So if you didn’t feel like talkin’ in English, you wouldn’t have to.”

Black Hawk laughed, “Lessons start first thing in the morning. Don’t be late.” Billy grinned, “Yes, sir.”

They stared at each other for a moment. “Are you okay?” Billy asked. Black Hawk smiled sadly, “I think I will be, eventually.”

***

Endnotes:

i “Thank you.”

ii “I am grateful to you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to JK in the SINF Discord server for giving me the idea of making Ma-k and Billy go to Egypt when Tut's tomb was opened!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ma-k talks to a friend about his problems.

“I’m in love with Billy.”

Black Hawk was pacing back and forth across the room. His friend Baishan, a Chíhéne immortal, was sitting cross-legged on the couch, watching him.

“That scrawny white boy?” Baishan said skeptically. Black Hawk laughed, “Oh shut up.”

“Isn’t he Irish?”

“His mother was.”

“Give him some potatoes then, as a sign of your love.”

The Chíhéne immortal said it with a straight face, but Black Hawk knew that he was joking from the man’s body language. He always tilted his head slightly when he wasn’t being serious about something.

Ignoring the suggestion, he continued talking. “Should I even pursue this though?” the Othâkîwa immortal questioned, resuming his pacing. “If you didn’t want to, you wouldn’t be asking me,” Baishan pointed out.

Black Hawk bit his lip, “I know.” His friend narrowed his eyes, “Do you think that the Kid feels the same way about you?”

“I know he does,” Black Hawk said softly, looking down at the ground. Glancing back at the Chíhéne immortal, he continued, “He kissed me, Baishan...”

“What? You didn’t tell me that!”

“It was when we were in Egypt last week. We were in the tomb, and we fell... He was on top of me-”

“Really?” Baishan said, looking surprised, “I would have expected the opposite.”

“Baishan, please,” Black Hawk sighed. The other man chuckled, “I am sorry, continue.”

“He panicked after that,” the Othâkîwa immortal whispered, “Then I got hit in the head, and for a moment I couldn’t recall what exactly we had done... Later on my memories got clearer, but I pretended not to remember anything that had happened...”

“Why would you do that?” Baishan asked, putting his head in his hands. “Because I didn’t want him to be uncomfortable!” Black Hawk said.

“If you know that he likes you, and you like him, then isn’t the solution to your dilemma simple?”

“I don’t know if it’s been long enough,” the Othâkîwa immortal said quietly, “Is it too early to move on?” Baishan chuckled, “No offence, Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak, but it has been almost a hundred years. Would As-she-we-qua have wanted you to be so hard on yourself?”

“That’s my problem, Baishan! I don’t know what she would have wanted,” Black Hawk sighed.

“If she were here, what would you have done?”

“Then it would have been easy, I would have just talked to her about it, and we would have agreed to include another person in our relationship,” Black Hawk said, “It just feels wrong to not have her approval.”

Baishan looked sympathetic, “Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak, you have to do what you believe is best. And trust me, As-she-we-qua would be happy for you. She wouldn’t want you to be alone forever.”

Black Hawk stopped pacing, and sat down next to Baishan.

“Should I tell him how I feel?”

“That’s up to you, my friend,” Baishan said, putting a hand on Black Hawk’s shoulder.

“I want to tell him,” the Othâkîwa immortal said slowly.

“Then do it.”

“Maybe...”

“Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak, I do not want to watch you isolate yourself for another hundred years because you are too scared to talk to a cute boy,” Baishan said sternly. Black Hawk laughed, “I’ll think about it, okay?”

Baishan looked pleased, “Good. I don’t like seeing you so worried.”

“Thank you for listening,” Black Hawk said to the other man. Baishan smiled, “You know you can always come to your Elder for advice.” The Othâkîwa immortal rolled his eyes. He was older than Baishan by almost thirty years, but physically looked much younger than the Chíhéne man, a fact that Baishan enjoyed teasing him about.

“Now, get out of here!” Baishan said, pushing Black Hawk away, “I’m sure you have better things to do than talk to me.”

Black Hawk sighed, “Unfortunately, I do have somewhere else to be. Quetzalcoatl hasn’t given me a break in half a century.”

“Don’t wear yourself out,” the Chíhéne immortal said. “Our master doesn’t give me much of a choice,” Black Hawk muttered. He got up from the couch, and started towards the door.

“Do you really think I should tell Billy the truth?” he said, turning back to face his friend.

“You cannot choose who you love, Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak. If you feel in your heart that this is what you want, then I will support you the entire time.”

“ _K_ _ewâwiyâmene_ , Baishan.”

The Chíhéne man nodded in acknowledgement.

Black Hawk left the house, lost in thought.

He had a decision to make.

**Author's Note:**

> Wela'lioq! Thank you for reading!


End file.
